New Alcohol Inks for March

A couple of weeks ago, I presented a class on using alcohol inks with composite metal leaf and polymer.  It was the first class held in our new meeting place near Amston Lake, and everyone seemed to have a good time.  Personally, I think it's hard not to have a good time when you get to play with polymer. ;)  

Scattered about this posting are some of the pieces I made from the sheets I developed as part of the demonstration.  The unusual shape to the left looks a bit Moroccan to me.  I really liked the way the various colors of alcohol ink managed to move against each other, while staying bright and vibrant.  The addition of Magic Gloss after baking really helped the colors and the crackle pattern pop.  Below are two pendants, one using black polymer as a base and as edging, the other using white polymer for base and edge.  It's interesting to see how the color that outlines the piece changes the tone and appearance.

These gold tone earrings were made with gold composite metal leaf and tangerine and ginger alcohol inks. The edging is hand painted with gold leaf paint.

Here are two more pieces, both without edging.  The 3-piece pendant on the left is on white polymer, the curved teardrop pieces on the right are on black polymer.

Spring Blooms & Lacey Wave Edging

Spring has seemed to take a long time coming to Connecticut this year. Now that it's finally here, I find myself drawn to the new blooms, and, naturally, just had to make some floral pieces. I really enjoy the delicacy of the flowers and leaves on this small scale.  The first photos show some roses as well as my new morning glories - love the way the morning glories ruffle and curve!  I think the Ikat cane makes a nice background.

When the first pendants came out of the oven, I wondered what they would look like with some sort of background, perhaps a ruffle or lace, framing the pieces.  Some experimenting with folding and bending Skinner blends led to the lacey waves evident in the last three photos.